The British Coatings Federation hosted a Parliamentary Reception at the House of Commons Terrace Pavillion on Tuesday 24th March.

The event, hosted by Adam Jogee MP, Member of Parliament for Newcastle-under-Lyme, was attended by Industry Minister, Chris McDonald MP; Minister for Waste and Recycling, Mary Creagh MP; along with more than 20 other MPs and Peers.

They joined with around 150 guests from across the coatings sector, with key stakeholders from a range of sectors and organisations. The BCF sees the strong attendance as a reflection of the growing recognition of the role the sector plays in the UK economy and in delivering the Government’s Industrial Strategy.

Taking place on Day 2 of World Paint and Coatings Week, the reception served as a platform to highlight the contribution coatings play in advancing sustainability. It provided an opportunity to showcase the progress the industry is making toward a more sustainable future and to demonstrate how coatings innovation underpins so many of the UK’s environmental and economic ambitions.

Jane Ryder, BCF President and Vice President & General Manager, Consumer Brands Group – Europe at Sherwin-Williams UK, Tom Bowtell, BCF CEO, and Adam Jogee MP all delivered speeches.

Bowtell focussed on the key policy challenges facing the coatings sector, including: rocketing energy and raw material prices; rising employment costs; the need for support for the green energy transition; a long-term focus on skills and training, especially STEM subjects and relevant apprenticeships; and for the Modern Industrial Strategy to recognise the importance of supply chains.

He went on to call on the government to find a less cumbersome and costly solution for UK REACH that accepts registrations in the EU as valid in the UK, as part of a wider move towards a Swiss Model approach.

The event also provided an opportunity to update guests on the regional trial of the BCF’s PaintCare initiative, which launched this month. PaintCare UK is the UK’s first voluntary, industry-led takeback scheme for leftover decorative paint and packaging, delivered by the BCF on behalf of paint manufacturers in partnership with participating retail and trade outlets. Notably, the BCF was able to demonstrate the scheme’s progress to Waste and Recycling Minister Mary Creagh and discuss some regulatory challenges that must be addressed to achieve a nationwide rollout.

Speaking after the event, Jane Ryder, BCF President, commented: “This was my first event as BCF President, and it was great to see so many BCF members joining us at our Parliamentary Reception.

"I am very grateful to Adam Jogee MP for sponsoring the event and for helping us to make it happen. I was also delighted that Industry Minister, Chris McDonald, and Waste and Recycling Minister, Mary Creagh, both gave us so much of their time to come and hear more about the coatings industry and the needs and ambitions of its members.”

Bowtell added: “I am really pleased with the turnout for the reception, with more than 20 MPs coming to hear more about our sector and to speak with our members and other stakeholders. It was a good opportunity to put firmly on record the concerns our sector still has with UK REACH and to urge the government, even at a very late hour, to rethink its proposals, which currently look as though they will still add significant burdens onto industry.

"I was also particularly pleased to be able to talk to both Ministers McDonald and Creagh about the coatings sector's ambitions for our PaintCare initiative. If we can get this right, it will be a major win for the sector and for government in creating a more circular economy.”